The Celtics hold the LA Clippers first round pick in this summer's draft. It's top 10 protected, but it goes to Boston if it falls anywhere from 11 on down. This is a deep draft, and a pick in the 11-15 range can produce a player who might make an immediate impact. So we're going to keep an eye on the standings and the Clippers' peformance to see where that pick may fall.

Current record: 27-21 (2nd Pacific, 4th West).

Standings:

W

L

GB

LA Clippers (4)

27

21

9.5

Dallas (5)

28

22

9.5

Memphis (6)

26

21

10

Utah (7)

26

23

11

Houston (8)

26

23

11

Denver

26

23

11

Phoenix

25

24

12

Minnesota

24

26

13.5

Upcoming games:Tonight: New OrleansWed: PhoenixFri: PortlandSat: Utah

The Clippers are 4-6 in their last 10 games and 7-9 since March 1. The Clippers lost to the Hornets on Thursday, so they might have reveng on their minds. Meanwhile, The Jazz are in action tonight against New Jersey… which means Deron Williams might go into takeover mode against his former team.

However, a Jazz win/Clippers loss would essentially drop them down to the 7th seed. The two games against Phoenix and Utah later in the week could be pivotal.

We'll keep an eye on the Clippers to see if their free fall continues, or if they get it together. Obviously, the best case scenario would be the Clippers barely missing the playoffs and falling just out of the top 10. Considering the injuries the C's have dealt with this season, it would be a nice little stroke of luck to get a good pick out of the Clippers in this draft.